Nebraska Legislature considers an Asian American commission bill

Nebraska state senators advanced a bill March 9 that would create an Asian American Commission. Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln who introduced LB442 said the goal of the commission would be to provide a centralized point for advocacy and coordination to advance issues that affect the Asian American community.

The Asian American Commission would join existing commissions like the Latino American Commission, the Nebraska Commission on Indian affairs and the African American Commission.

“It's time to make sure we don’t leave people unrepresented,” Hansen said.

After seeing the Legislature pass the African American commission bill in Fall 2020, Hansen said the state also needs an Asian American Commission.

“It's something that stands out to me as a flaw or problem that we have the three other commissions that I mentioned but we don’t have this one,” Hansen said.

Hansen, who is also a board member of the Asian Community and Cultural Center in Lincoln, approached the members to ask whether it would be helpful.

“The Asian center is kind of, one of the clearest points in terms of being a representative or being a voice for the Asian culture,” Hansen said.

Members of the Asian center supported the idea when they heard about the proposal.

“We helped with gathering people and letters to be read into testimony, to get this off the ground,” said Sheila Dorsey Vinton, executive director and CEO of the Asian center.

Hansen saw many reasons for creating the bill, such as getting public health messages out in different languages.

“For example in Lincoln, they've turned to the Asian center in part to help do some translation and coordination because there isn't always a clear avenue or clear vehicle to turn to at the state level,” Hansen said.

Members of the commission would be of Asian ancestry. Hansen said the goal of the commission would be to help empower and give voice to the Asian community.

“I personally try to avoid white saviorism, or people overstepping their bounds,” Hansen said.

This year, hate crimes against Asians and Asian Americans have been happening across the U.S. The ones that come across Hansen’s mind are the Atlanta shootings and the explosion outside the Nebraska Chinese Association at Omaha.

“I worry that it's going to grow into a stronger trend,” Hansen said.

In fact, the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism found hate crimes against Asian Americans increased to nearly 150% from 49 crimes in 2019 to 122 in 2020, Poynter reported.

This surge is jarring because overall hate crimes decreased 7% despite closures of businesses, schools and gatherings due to the pandemic.

Vinton said the increase in hate crimes is directly related to the rhetoric that people hear, and some need a scapegoat.

“There's the unfounded fear and blame that people have been hearing from high leadership, calling it ‘The China virus’ or ‘The Kung Fu flu,’” Vinton said.

The Asian center hosted a vigil March 25 at Tower Square to show solidarity with the community.

“Just a time for some peaceful reflection and recentering for everybody to hopefully heal a little bit, and just have a remembrance of the victims,” Vinton said.

Hansen said the bill’s floor debate may be pushed back to next year as it did not get picked as a priority bill this year.

One of the goals of the commission would be having a permanent office space and staff, Hansen said. “Bills that cost money are even harder to get on the agenda.”

Hansen will try to get the bill prioritized again next year.